Medienhype 'Hirndoping'?

In the public debate about cognitive enhancement (CE), the media is often accused of hyping the subject and contributing to the fact that more and more people are using drugs to improve their mental performance. Despite these claims, little is known about the role of journalists and the intensity and content of media coverage of CE. Conducting both a content analysis of German press coverage and 30 interviews with journalists that recently reported about CE, this book explores if there is evidence of such media hype. It examines how the German media reports on cognitive enhancement, what role German journalists play in the debate, which mechanisms underlie media coverage and what consequences are to be expected.